Feral's Past
by ulyferal
Summary: Stolen when only 3 years old, Feral could never find out who had taken him nor why. The sudden appearance of the Pastmaster, a mysterious dimensional mirror, and the involvement of the SWAT Kats might finally give him the answers he's been seeking.
1. Chapter 1

**FERAL'S PAST**

_**Author's Note: This came to me like a flash. It's a fairytale but written like it was one of the episodes of the show (but not in script form), which means it should be short. With plenty of action. Hope you enjoy it.**_

**Chapter 1: Through the Magic Mirror**

An alarm screamed eliciting a curse from a sandy furred male who slid hurriedly from under the car he'd been working on. Grabbing the special phone off the wall, he barked, "T-Bone!"

"The Pastmaster is at the museum, hurry?" Came the familiar, breathless voice of the deputy mayor, the whine of lasers nearly drowning her out.

"Right! On our way!" Chance turned to close their garage doors, shouting to his partner, who was upstairs. "Jake!"

"Coming!" A brick colored tom came flying down the stairs to join his partner. The two went down a secret hatch in the floor at the rear of the garage.

Minutes later, the Turbokat was roaring across the sky toward the Megakat Natural History Museum.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Give it up Pastmaster!" Feral shouted through a bull horn while staying safely behind a thick pillar.

He and his Enforcers had been attempting to get their adversary to give up, though Feral knew very well the fiend wouldn't but laws had to be followed. His biggest problem was the exhibit room the sorcerer was trapped in had only one exit, which Feral ensured was blocked by them. But it also wasn't terribly big and mostly empty except for a very large artifact and a small display case against the wall beside it.

However, despite being boxed in, the Pastmaster was supremely unconcerned as he easily held off the Enforcers while casting a spell of some kind on a strange mirror that was imbedded in a carved slab of stone.

Feral ducked the careless blast from the magical pocket watch the evil sorcerer used to keep them at bay, then shot a blast from his laser pistol, which hit a magical shield the Pastmaster must have just erected, absorbing the energy. Cursing, he turned to the curator of the museum who was hiding behind him and behind her was the deputy mayor. Calico Briggs had been at the museum to see this artifact for the mayor and had been the one to alert them about the Pastmaster.

"What is that thing he's trying to do something to?" He demanded.

"It's an ancient mirror from Queen Callista's time. It was recently unearthed at the site where her castle used to stand. We don't _know_ exactly what it does yet," Dr. Sinian said.

"Apparently, he does," Feral grumbled, turning back to see what the sorcerer was doing now. He blinked in dismay and cursed.

"Oh my!" Dr. Sinian exclaimed. She'd taken a chance and peeked around the pillar to see what had caused the Commander to swear.

Ms. Briggs looked as well and gasped in shock. "What is that?"

No one had an answer, but what they saw was certainly cause for concern. No longer reflecting the room at large, the mirror now held a swirling image of some other place. Feral could just make out a castle on a hilltop, a forest to one side and glittering lake on the other.

"Strange, that seems familiar somehow ..." he muttered aloud. Dr. Sinian turned and gave him a surprised and questioning look.

Suddenly, an explosion struck the floor at the Pastmaster's feet, and, despite his shielding, was sent flying, screaming in fury all the way, to hit the display case nearby, shattering the top of it and momentarily losing his watch to the floor.

From the ceiling transom window, the SWAT Kats rappelled to the floor with their glovatrixes extended.

"Whatever you're up to Pastmaster, we're here to stop it," T-Bone growled, hitting the floor solidly with his feet then charging forward.

"Get the Pastmaster!" Feral shouted at his Enforcers, using the SWAT Kats interference to gang up on the evil gnome before he could get his watch back to attack them.

Unfortunately, being so short has it advantages. The Pastmaster rolled forward off the display cabinet and hit the floor rolling, snatching his watch as he passed it then struck the wall and bounced to his feet, firing immediately at the group charging at him.

The SWAT Kats managed to open their shields barely in time to keep from being bowled over but Feral and company weren't so lucky as they went sailing through the air, striking the opposite wall and sliding to the floor in a groaning heap.

Wasting no time, the SWAT Kats pushed ahead against the magical energy beam, firing a tarpedo and flash bulb missiles at their enemy.

The Pastmaster ducked the tarpedo but was blinded by the flashbulb. He ended up staggering back against the side of the stone mirror and nearly falling through it's surface but was prevented by a flying tackle from Razor.

While the two wrangled on the floor, Feral came barreling forward till he came even with T-Bone as they passed the front of the mirror. Then disaster struck.

The Pastmaster managed to get a paw free and fired a volley of energy at the two racing toward him. The beam caught the pair dead on, tossing them cursing in fear and anger through the image still showing on the mirror.

Hearing his partner's cry and seeing him vanish through the mirror, Razor heaved with his feet, catching the Pastmaster in the stomach and sending him into the oncoming Enforcers, felling them all to the floor again.

Recovering quickly and seeing he would get no where with his plans now, the Pastmaster formed a portal hastily and leaped through, closing it behind him.

Ignoring the escaping criminal, Razor turned to face the mirror, horrified that the image was rapidly disappearing. With a cry of: "T'Bone!", he raced toward it, then leaped through, refusing to abandon his partner. He only hoped he'd be able to find a way to get them back home again.

The exhibit room went silent as everyone stared in dismay at the now blank mirror. The Pastmaster was gone but so were their Commander and the SWAT Kats.

One of Feral's officers finally found his voice. "What do we do now? How do we get them back?"

Uncertainty on her beautiful face, Briggs turned to look questioningly at Dr. Sinian. That worthy simply shook her head. "As I told Commander Feral, we only just got this artifact. We have no idea yet what it does, though, obviously seeing it in action tells me it's some kind of dimensional portal but beyond that I know nothing else. I'll have to search through Queen Callista's scrolls to see if it's mentioned and what spells were used to open it."

"Search quickly, Abi. We don't know if the Pastmaster will return but there's a good chance he might since he didn't get to do whatever it was he came here to do with that thing," Briggs ordered then turned to the Enforcers. "I suggest you leave a small force to guard this mirror just in case he does show back up."

The ranking officer nodded, unhappiness on his face. "I'm sure the second in command will do that immediately, Ms. Briggs when I tell him what's happened here." He turned away, pulling out his radio to report to his superior.

"Callie?" Abi Sinian stopped the deputy mayor as the blond was heading for the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Even if I do find out what this mirror does, there's no one alive today who has the ability to cast a spell, so getting them back won't be possible. We have to hope they find a way to do that from their end," the curator said unhappily.

Callie sighed and could feel a megaheadache coming on. "Just find out what you can Abi. We'll worry about that later."

Sinian sighed but nodded agreement then hurried off to her office.

Giving the mirror one last anguished look, Callie turned away. She needed to return to city hall and brief the Mayor. He was definitely not going to be happy about this.


	2. Chapter 2

**FERAL'S PAST**

**Chapter 2: I Know This Place!**

"Oof!"

"Oww! Crud! Get off me!" T-Bone growled at the huge tom crushing him.

Feral rolled off and staggered to his feet, using a nearby tree to steady himself. Rubbing his head he looked around.

T-Bone groaned, ribs bruised from the fall through the portal and having Feral land on him. He too got slowly to his feet and stared around. Frowning, he saw they were in a forest somewhere and they were standing on a hillside, the sun hung about midday, he judged. Turning around he gasped.

"Wow! Is that a castle?" More to himself than Feral. "But that's not Queen Callista's place," he muttered, aloud. None of the scenery looked like the past he and Razor had been before, either.

"I ... know this place somehow," Feral said slowly, his eyes troubled by some old memory.

"Say what?" T-Bone jerked his head toward the big tom, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Aahhh," a voice startled them then a body hit the ground just behind the pair.

"Razor!" T-Bone cried, relieved and upset to see his friend. Now they both were trapped here. He hurried to the small tom's side and helped him to his feet.

"Crud! Remind me not to do that again," Razor grumbled, brushing himself off then looking around. Seeing the castle, he frowned. "This isn't our past. Where the heck are we?"

"I don't know but the Commander just said he remembers this place somehow," T-Bone's voice reflected his skepticism of that statement.

"Huh?" Razor walked up to Feral's side. The tom hadn't moved and was still staring at the castle and the lake with a strange expression on his face. "So, why do you think you've been here when this is another dimension, Commander?" The smaller SWAT Kat asked.

Shaking himself, Feral turned to him, his face troubled. Instead of snapping at the SWAT Kat and telling him to mind his own business, the big Enforcer actually felt impelled to tell him as they were all trapped here and if this was where he thought they were, only he could keep them safe ... maybe ... but getting them home again ... he hadn't a clue.

"It used to be my home."

"What?" Both SWAT Kats blurted at the same time.

Looking uncomfortable, Feral rubbed his neck and turned to stare at the castle again. "I was kidnapped when I was only three years old. I never saw who it was as they covered my head with a bag. I remember a weird sensation in my stomach and being terrified then all went still. The person set me down and ran away. When I dared to remove the bag I found myself in someones doorway in a place that looked nothing like home. It took me awhile to get used to all the modern stuff you take for granted. But even though I knew I wasn't home, I had no idea until this very moment, that I'd been taken into another dimension." He sounded lost and confused.

T-Bone and Razor gaped at him. It was Razor who was finally able to speak. "Crud Commander, what a terrible thing to have happen. But why would someone make such an effort to steal a kitten then haul them through dimensions? What makes you so special?"

"Most likely because I'm the son of the Queen who rules here ... or did rule here. It's been so long ago, I have no idea what the situation is now," he admitted. "Anyway, perhaps they might have done it to get revenge. My mother was a vicious and evil leader and her people hated her. Even as young as I was, I could feel their fear and my treatment was no better than theirs despite being her son."

T-Bone suddenly felt sick inside. Crud, by that look in his eyes, I'd say Feral had been abused, he thought in dismay. Now I feel bad about how I've been treating him. Maybe he was taken for a different reason. "Uh, perhaps someone thought you'd be safer from her somewhere else," he ventured to say.

Feral snorted, a sour look on his face. "I don't see how that could be, SWAT Kat. The kidnapper just abandoned me in the worst part of the city. With me being so young and totally unfamiliar with such a strange, modern world, I'd have been dead very quickly if an Enforcer hadn't found me while on patrol."

"Uh, yeah, that's certainly true ... but, wait, what if whoever it was knew help was nearby?" T-Bone insisted. It felt wrong somehow that this person could have just callously abandoned a kitten that way especially taking such extraordinary efforts to steal it.

Feral blinked in surprise at that notion then looked thoughtful. "Well, that's certainly possible as I was found almost immediately." Then he sighed. "However, it was so long ago, so I don't think we'll ever know the answer."

"I wouldn't say that, Commander," Razor spoke up. "All we have to do is find someone in charge and ask questions. Hopefully, we'll also find how we can get home again too."

"If things haven't deteriorated around here, but I have no other ideas and I do have a lot of questions I need answered," Feral agreed, slowly, turning back to stare at the castle again.

Razor started walking down the hillside, saying over his shoulder, "We're not going to find any answers just standing around so let's get moving and see if there's someone we can talk to in the castle." T-Bone shrugged and followed.

But Feral felt uneasy about that suggestion so hurried to catch up to them then called a halt. The pair did so, eyeing him questioningly. "I'm not sure why, but I think going up to the gates is a very bad idea." They stared at him in surprise. He grimaced. "Yes, I know I never believed in funny feelings or intuition but everything in me is screaming danger loudly."

Razor was surprised by Feral's admission. For the big tom to admit to any such thing was cause for serious concern. "If someone like you is that unnerved, we certainly aren't going to ignore it. Since this is your world and though very young when you left it, you still know it better than us so we'll trust your instincts," he said gravely then a new thought occurred to him, "Uh, by the way, does magic work here?"

Feral was surprised and pleased they didn't call him crazy and that they were willing to set aside their animosity to work with him. Of course they had a very strong motive too ... they wanted to get home and he was the only key to that. He paled suddenly when his mind registered the last thing Razor had asked. Swallowing hard, a terrible incident burst into his mind from the past making his breath hitch.

Magic! How he hated magic and now he knew why. Feeling cold and sick, he said, "Kat's Alive! That explains my hatred for anything magic ... my mother's an evil sorceress."

T-Bone gaped at him while Razor just felt ill. "Oh joy. Just what we didn't need ... magic. That changes everything. Does everyone here do magic?"

Feral paused a moment to think then slowly shook his head. "No, only the royal family has the ability," he said slowly.

Razor blinked. "Then that means you can do magic."

The big tom blanched. "What? Oh no! Uh..uh! I have no training and could get myself and anyone near me killed if I even tried," he said hurriedly, eyes wide with fear.

"Umm, I take it you saw something like that happen for you to be that freaked out about it?" Razor said more than asked, as a cold dread filled him.

"A teenage cousin of mine. He was messing around and managed to set fire to himself and a whole section of the nursery wing, killing a nanny and two guardsman," Feral said shuddering inside, that memory still able to give him nightmares.

"Then we won't ask you do magic," T-Bone said quickly, really unhappy magic was involved at all here.

"No we won't but, thankfully, having only the royal family so skilled limits the number of enemies we have to worry about," Razor said thoughtfully, only a little relieved by that information. "Okay, so we proceed with extreme caution as we get close to the castle. Unfortunately, it is still the only place where we can get the information we need about who rules now and what the politics are before we can accidentally blunder into more trouble. I suggest we get deeper into the forest and keep hidden as we trek down to the castle wall. Hopefully, we'll run into someone, preferably not one of the nobility, and get some answers. Does that meet with your approval, Commander?"

Feral thought a moment but couldn't come up with any other plan of action. He nodded. "Yes, it works for me but with your colorful outfits, we'll have to be sure we're well hidden in the brush," he warned.

"So true. Well let's get going. I feel nervous just standing around here this long," T-Bone growled, unhappy and tense now that he knew just how dangerous their situation was.

Feral had to agree so headed off into the dense brush, leading the way with the pair following close on his heels. Keeping his eyes and ears peeled for trouble, he thought to himself, what a strange homecoming. There is one hope for us getting out of this mess and that's if my brother is still alive but I won't tell them yet. No sense getting their hopes up.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

In a hidden room in the dungeons of the castle, a big tom, with a remarkable likeness to Feral, wearing an outfit that marked him as one of the nobility, was leaning over a map laid upon a heavy oak table. Four other tough looking toms wearing peasant clothing and swords at their sides, stood around the table. Beside him was another well dressed noble. It was late evening and most of the residents of the castle were asleep.

"The Queen has lost her patience with her knights failure to catch us and is going to hire mercenaries from outkingdom to end the rebellion," the imposing tom announced grimly.

"Well she hardly has a choice, my lord. With you blocking her ability to spy on us, she's got to do things the normal way and that's made her even more vicious. By bringing that rabble here, she'll finish off what her ruinous taxes and brutality haven't already destroyed. Our people will have nothing left and then what will she do? She certainly can't expect a decimated people to be able to supply her with food, goods, or servants to meet her needs. I tell you sir, she's gone around the bend, she has!" The Prince's second in command growled, the others making noises of agreement.

"She's no more than a stupid bitch ... uh ... forgive my lord; I know she's your mother and all ...," another said, blushing with embarrassment by his slip of the tongue insult.

The Prince snorted. "She is a bitch; no reason to pretty it up."

"So, what are we to do to prevent further disaster befalling our people, your highness?" The other noble, older than the Prince, asked. He was the Prince's adviser. The only one daring to defy the Queen in secret and help the Prince take back their kingdom from the Queen's cruelty and lust for power.

"The only thing we can do: head off Lord Renscar. The Queen is sending him off tomorrow morning to Brehamshire to hire this mercenary company. We haven't enough fighters to take them out so we must prevent them from ever hearing the Queen's request," the Prince explained.

"Easier said then done, my lord. As your uncle, even without his cadre of knights he'll have with him, he can use magic to kill us all before we can stop him. Besides that, I don't doubt he will be expecting us to do something like this and will be prepared," another of his officers grimly reminded him.

"I know this! But I have a plan ..." the Prince began to say when another officer disguised as a peasant burst through the secret entrance and ran toward them.

"Your highness! The scouts have captured three strangers walking to the castle through the forest. They are holding them at the guardian oak awaiting orders from you," the messenger said breathlessly. "And sire, one of them looks eerily like yourself."

The Prince straightened to his formidable height and frowned in puzzled confusion. "I'd better go see who our visitors are. Pray it isn't some trick of the Queen's," he growled, gesturing for the messenger to lead the way as he and his fellows headed out into the night.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

It had been a long and exhausting hike down to the castle proper. It was further away than they had guessed so it was getting towards nightfall by the time they were within a few miles of the high stone wall. They'd heard and saw no one on their long trek. Under the trees it was already very dark so the SWAT Kats used their helmet lights to keep them from stumbling on roots and rocks that could have sent them tumbling down the hillside. Feral stayed close as he didn't have a flashlight with him.

They were footsore and hungry by the time they reached the end of the forest and came upon a wide verge of green grass that circled the castle like a moat. They stopped and looked around. Far to their left they could just make out the front gate. Only one guard could be seen, though Feral knew there were two. A flare of light spoke of a torch being lit to illuminate the entrance as darkness deepened.

"Better cut our lights. Don't want any guards on the walls to see us," Razor warned, switching off his helmet light.

"Roger," T-Bone grunted, doing the same.

They waited until their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light cast by the moon before attempting to continue on. But, they hadn't gone more than a few steps onto the lawn when ...

"Freeze!" Razor hissed a soft warning as he caught sight of movement coming from the right side of them but his warning was too late as a large, heavily armed group quickly and silently surrounded them.

"Hold, strangers! What be your business here so late at night?" One voice demanded from the darkness.

"Easy, we mean you no harm," Feral spoke for them all, his paws remaining quietly at his sides.

The armed group startled. "Whist now ... that sounds like ... give us some light. Mind you guard it!" A voice ordered, possibly the leader.

A small torch was lit then hidden by two bodies so that it wouldn't give them away to any that might be watching from the wall or front gate.

Razor frowned at that. Now why would they not want the guards to see them?

Feral was carefully pushed forward by the ones behind him until the torch lit his face.

"Your highness! But I thought you were in the castle, sire?" their leader blurted in shocked surprise.

For a split second, Feral thought to pretend he was the Prince they knew so they could get inside the castle but like Razor, he hadn't missed the furtiveness of this group. They obviously didn't want the castle guards to see them. What was going on within his home to cause this? He wondered. Well the only way to find out is to let them take us and see what happens, he decided.

"I'm not your Prince. But I am someone he knows," he said carefully. The SWAT Kats gave him confused looks but wisely didn't say anything.

"By the Moon, he looks the spitting image of his highness," another of the group said, voice awed and a bit scared.

"Amery, go and see if his highness_ is _in the castle. If he is, tell him of our unexpected guests. Well be at the guardian oak waiting," their leader decided. A member of the group hurried off at a run. "Justin, put that torch out. Move out," he commanded.

The torch was immediately snuffed out and the group gently pushed their prisoners back up the trail until they reached a huge oak tree with a small statue standing at its roots. Offerings of food and herbs were laid at its feet. They halted; no one said a word while they waited for the messenger to return.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The Prince hurried through the woods in the dark with the skill of one who has gone this way many times. In short order, he arrived where the small group stood waiting, surrounding three strangers in their midst.

"So, who are our visitors?" he asked.

It was the SWAT Kats turn to startle. "Crud, that voice sounds like you, Feral?" T-Bone hissed, mindful to keep his voice low.

The Prince blinked at that statement and noticed for the first time that one of the strangers was as tall and broad as he was. "Strike a light!"

One of the males did so. The light moved fitfully as the male carefully handed the torch over to his leader who passed it to the Prince. "Move aside!" he ordered and the group widened their circle until the strangers were revealed.

In the smoldering light, two identical faces stared at each other in utter shock. A low mutter of surprise spread through the watchers, immediately hushed by the scout leader who couldn't stop staring himself. "Whist, me lord! He is your spitting image. How can that be?" He whispered, totally confused.

The Prince didn't answer. After staring for several minutes, he raised a trembling paw to the face before him. "Brother ... so long has it been that I despaired of ever seeing you again," he breathed, voice thick with emotion.

Feral swallowed a lump in his throat as he reached up to gently squeeze his brother's paw. "Too long Luther. I never thought I'd see you again either," he said tautly.

"The missing Prince!" The scout leader hissed in shocked surprise.

"Sire, we must get under cover. Thy brother's appearance could change everything but tis not safe for either of you to be seen out here." The Prince's adviser spoke up after everyone got over their shock. He tugged urgently on his lord's arm. He was stunned to see the Prince's twin returned but now wasn't the time for questions.

Prince Luther quickly collected himself and nodded. "You are right, Brinsly. Let us away quickly. Roger, get back to your patrol."

"Aye, your highness." The scout leader snuffed the torch and signaled his group to take off. They melted into the darkness, no sound to mark their passing.

The Prince and his small group gathered the three visitors with them and lead them down a barely seen path. Some ten minutes later, they reached a hidden entrance cleverly disguised as part of the wall so no one could see it unless they knew where to look. They slipped in and walked down a short, dark stone corridor, coming out into a fairly large room that was simply decorated with chairs, a heavy oak table, a small bed against one wall and a trunk at the foot of it. Torches were lit bringing light into the room.

"Now we talk," Prince Luther said drawing a chair up and bidding his brother sit beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

**FERAL'S PAST**

**Chapter 3: When Brothers Meet**

"My people, please meet my long lost brother, Ulysses. He was stolen from us when he was but three years old," Prince Luther introduced Feral to his loyal subjects. All eyed the strange yet familiar tom with fascination.

"Aye, I well remember the hue and cry when the little prince was taken. The Queen was furious that someone had dared to steal one of her sons. They searched for years but no trace of him was ever found nor who had taken him," Brinsly said, eyeing Feral thoughtfully.

"Where have you been, my brother?" Luther asked, signaling one of his people to give them something to drink and eat.

Feral, T-Bone and Razor eagerly drank the tankards handed them as they were extremely thirsty, but almost immediately nearly spit the mouthful out before managing to swallow it down, looks of shock and coughing following.

"Crud! That stuff will strip the fur from ya!" T-Bone gasped still trying to get his breath back. His partner was coughing up a storm. One of the males politely pounded him on the back in bemusement, not certain why they reacted this way to one of their favorite drinks.

Feral didn't look any better as his brother pounded his back too until Uly could breath easily again. Giving his brother a watery-eyed look Feral demanded, "What the hell is this stuff?"

"Why good mead, my brother. The finest in the land. You've not had anything like this wherever you were?" Luther asked, surprised and amused by his brother's behavior.

"No and I don't think now is the time for me to try something that will addle my thinking, either," Feral snorted, setting the tankard down and pushing it away. He could still feel the burn all the way into his stomach. The SWAT Kats didn't care for it either and pushed the tankards away.

Shaking his head and smiling, Luther ordered water for the three and some food then got serious again. "So, where have you been?" He asked again.

Feral drank the water gratefully before answering. "Another dimension." He told them what little he knew of his kidnapper and of the world he'd been left on and how different it was from here. When he finished, all he got was looks of confusion and disbelief.

"Other dimensions? Huge cities with buildings that reach the sky? Flying machines? Excuse me your highness, but are you sure you're not addled?" Adviser Brinsly asked, worriedly.

Sighing, Feral wasn't sure how he could explain the modern things he accepted so easily nor the science behind them when his people had no frame of reference to go by to understand it. "No, I'm not adled and I'm sorry, but you'll just have to accept that such things exist on other worlds, however, you do know what a magic mirror is, yes?"

"Aye we do, my lord. We have all seen the Queen's magical mirror," Brinsly said gravely.

"Good. You know she can watch people through but what you don't know is that she can also open it to other worlds if she so desires. One of those worlds is Aristal, my adoptive home. An evil sorcerer plagues that world from time to time and he used a recently found mirror to open to this world. I and these two were thrown through it during a battle with that enemy."

His brother still looked skeptical. "I have never seen our mother use her mirror for naught but spying, Ulysses."

Feral sighed and rubbed his head in frustration but Razor decided to try and explain. "Look, there really are other worlds out there; some through the mirror, called dimensions, and those up there far in the sky. On our world we've been attacked twice by enemies from the sky and my partner and I have gone into other times and dimensions several times. Believe me, these are no tall tales but truth. Your world has no trouble believing in magic. Our world believes and works under science. Magic just gives us heartburn. Just because you have no need or experience with science doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Otherwise, how would you explain our ability to do this ..." To demonstrate what he was trying to explain, Razor raised his glovetrix and fired an octopus missile at the far wall.

The soft shuft sound the missile made then the explosive force it used to nearly burrow into the wall, had everyone from Luther's world gaping in shocked amazement.

"Now that is science in action. I invented this device to fire many kinds of projectiles. Your brother has a weapon he uses to enforce the law. Show them Commander."

Feral was pleased that Razor had figured out a way to convince everyone they weren't crazy. He pulled his impressive looking laser pistol from his coat and fired at the wall next to the octopus tines and blasted a small hole in it.

"Now do you believe me?" Feral asked, setting his weapon on the table so they could all see it.

Again, everyone gaped. His brother stared at the weird looking weapon with all that power at its command.

"Whist, your highness. Your brother has brought us the first glimmer of hope we've had in a very long time," Adviser Brinsly said, a look of awe and growing hope on his face.

His brother blinked then shook his head. He tentatively reached out and touched the weapon but didn't dare pick it up least he accidentally set it off. Looking into his brother's face he asked, "I believe you. What amazing weapons. Are they powerful enough to defeat magic?"

Feral sighed unhappily as did the SWAT Kats. Razor was the one who answered. "No." Faces fell but Razor pushed on to explain, "... however, that doesn't mean we can't use the element of surprise to knock out a magical enemy. Our ammunition has a powerful punch so it can be enough to scare and shock an enemy long enough for them to be taken out or even killed before they can mount a magical attack. This is how we defeated the two magical enemies we've ever had to fight."

"Ah, your world has indeed its own miracles and I can see how that just might solve a problem we have. But first, Ulysses ... why do they call you Commander?"

"I'm the Chief Enforcer of the military that protects the Katizens of Megakat City hence my title as Commander. These two are the bane of my existence on my adopted world but I tolerate them because they only have the city's welfare at heart even if they disobey the laws I follow to do it. They call themselves the SWAT Kats. This one is Razor and that big fellow is T-Bone."

"So you are a leader too? That is good as we have need of your fighting skills here. But before we get into my problems I need to ask, when you were taken through this magical portal as a kitten you had no idea who it was that had you?" Luther asked.

"None. Whoever it was had covered my head and held me tightly against their chest the whole time then abandoned me in a poor section of the city with no way to return nor fend for myself in a world I didn't understand at all. They never spoke or made a sound either."

"Could you tell if it were male or female?" His brother persisted.

Feral frowned, not certain why it was so important but he thought back and tried to recall the impressions he'd gotten in those fleeting moments. No one said anything. Finally, Feral said slowly, "I seem to recall a hard body holding me so I'd have to say male."

"Hmm..." he brother hummed to himself.

"Why is that so important? Do you have a clue who might have done that to me?" Feral asked.

"I'd rather not say until I can do some inquiring first. I have no idea why they took you and not both of us so I have no answer for you on that however, I am glad fortune smiled upon you and kept you safe, brother. Mayhap fate has played a part in taking you then bringing you back in my time of need. All I know is your arrival is timely and with your vastly different skills, knowledge, and weaponry we have a far better chance of over throwing our mother," Luther said, hope lighting his eyes.

Feral's eyebrows rose. "You're fighting mother? Why and how? We saw no sign a war was going on when we arrived."

"It's a secret rebellion. Only mother, her council, and her knights are aware of it. Of course, I have made sure the peasantry knows of it so I might enlist their aid which they have given with all their hearts. They are tired of mother's tyranny and only needed someone to dare to rise up against her and they would follow. She has bled our land dry, brother. Our people are all but drained and tired of having little to eat and being used as little more than cattle with no respect for what they do for us. Her only passion is for power and lots of it. Over the years, she's accumulated all the lands around us by magic and war. I was fed up but hadn't the strength or power to defeat her so I hatched a plan to undermine her any way I could. For the past four years, I've found ways to steal her ill-gotten bounty, undermined her authority, and whittled away her support from other courts by poisoning them against her. And I did it all under her very nose. She has no idea it's me who is the leader of the rebellion because I put on an act that makes me look clumsy and weak before the court when I'm anything but that," Luther smiled wolfishly.

Feral stared at him thoughtfully. "A very good idea and the fact you're still alive, a very effective one," he said admiringly then ask softly, "She abused you thoroughly didn't she when I disappeared?"

Luther's eyes flashed with remembered pain and hatred. "She tried but I was too smart and found ways to avoid her, like this place," he said waving his arms to indicate the room they were in.

"Where are we?"

"In the dungeons, my dear brother. I explored them from the age of six when I was avoiding her 'tender mercies' until I knew every inch of it and found this hidden room. It has served me as my secret command post and a place to rest without worry that she'll drag me from bed for another of her sick demonstrations of her absolute power," he hissed, eyes glowing with hatred.

Feral shuddered inside, sad that his brother had to suffer their mother's cruelty while he managed to escape it. "I'm glad you managed to avoid her poisonous love ... though I don't think you avoided everything. I could wish I'd been here to take some of the punishment from you but that was not meant to be. At least it didn't break you."

"No, it didn't." Luther eyed his brother silently. "I missed you so much. The sorrow was intense and I cried for a long time. I only hoped you'd been spared what I'd been put through and it seems at least those prayers were answered," he said softly. "But when she was at her most 'difficult' I hated you. Because there wasn't someone else to blunt her anger, only me. That's why I disappeared into the dungeons every chance I got. No one wanted down here because they knew what she did to poor unlucky souls that displeased her in its bowels but they didn't know there were places to escape. That was my secret and it's what kept me sane all these years."

"Though it wasn't my fault, I am sorry brother," Feral said, his throat tight with pain and sorrow.

Luther turned and wrapped his arms around his brother and they hugged each other tightly though both kept their tears at bay, to used to hiding their pain to actively show it any longer.

No one spoke and averted their eyes from the display of emotion.

Razor and T-Bone shared a sick, angry look between them. Kitten abuse was abhorrent and to learn Feral and his brother had suffered such under the one who had borne them made them furious. What Feral endured could have made the tom just as cruel and vindictive as his mother was but it hadn't. He and his brother were made of sterner stuff and turned away from hatred to helping others. It was time he and T-Bone treated Feral with more respect after this, if he chose to go home again, that is.

The two males released each other and Luther said, "None of what happened to us matter's now, Ulysses. What's important is what we can do together to end the tyranny against our people. Let's set the past aside and focus on what we can do now."

Feral nodded. "So you lead the rebellion but haven't been able to topple her regime yet. What's holding you up?" He asked, tacitly agreeing to set this subject aside for now.

"We're outnumbered," Luther said bluntly. "However, we were finally making a difference until I heard her new orders this morning. Tomorrow, she is sending our uncle, Lord Renscar, to hire a mercenary company to take us out but it will be the common folk who will suffer if those brigands are allowed to enter our kingdom."

"I see. So your plan is to head off Renscar before he can deliver his message, eh?" Feral said, easily guessing what his brother had in mind.

Luthor smiled warmly. "You are sharp witted, brother. Yes that is indeed what I plan. However, we've just suffered significant losses in a recent skirmish against my mother's knights so are very short manned right now."

"We can even those odds easily with our modern weapons," Razor interjected. "You saw how effective they were and like I said, with the element of surprise on our side, we can take them down before they can use their magic to stop us."

Luthor's eyes gleamed with excitement and hope. "Yes, sir Razor and I have a plan that should incorporate those remarkable weapons of yours into a trap that can't fail. You'll help us, Ulysses?" Luther asked, his own eyes gleaming with renewed optimism.

"Of course I will," Feral said then turned to the SWAT Kats. "What about you two?"

"You couldn't keep us away," T-Bone growled. Razor just gave a wolfish grin.

"Okay, you have your back up. Where and when do we do this?" Feral asked.

His brother smiled. For the first time in four years, he could smell victory.


	4. Chapter 4

**FERAL'S PAST**

**Chapter 4: Road Skirmish**

"Looks like Feral is ready down there," Razor observed from his perch in a big oak tree that hung above the road some distance from the castle.

"Yeah. Bet he had a nice long talk with his brother when we went to sleep last night," T-Bone said, shifting his weight to a more comfortable position just below his partner.

"They had a lot of catching up to do, buddy."

"If we find a way back home, do you think he'll stay or go?"

"Go. He's dedicated his life to protecting Megakat City, T-Bone. He's not the type to just leave them because he's found his real home. He's been away too long from here and is used to modern things now," Razor said with certainty.

"Yeah, guess you're right though it would be hard for me to leave someone as close as a brother much less a twin and never see him again."

"Despite how prickly a person Feral is, I think this _would_ be hard for him," Razor said quietly. "I hope when all this is over, that his brother knows how to spell the mirror open or, if he doesn't, there's someone that does. When the spell is known, perhaps Feral can be taught it since he has a magical core too, so they can visit anytime they want to. It would be nice for them to be able to heal from their terrible kittenhood and catch up on all that lost time," he mused, thoughtfully.

"Hey, great idea, if it's possible. But if not, I hope we do manage to get home, however, that's later when we help them pull down a tyrant. That's pretty cool don't you think? We haven't done that yet," T-Bone smirked.

"Don't count your chickens until they hatch, buddy. We have to take out this envoy then the Queen before we can claim taking down a tyrant," Razor snorted then straightened when his sharp eyes caught something. "Hey! ... dust cloud on the horizon ... think our target is almost here," Razor warned then called down just loud enough for those below to hear but not the riders, "Incoming!"

Feral signaled that he'd heard. He was with his brother and ten other members of the rebellion across from the tree the SWAT Kats hid in. Under the vigilantes were another ten soldiers hunched down waiting, hiding behind a stand of high grass. All were armed with shields, swords, very sharp knives and a strange coil of thin rope courtesy of Razor.

They were ten miles from the entrance of the castle which had taken them a couple of hours to traverse the night before. They'd set up the ambush then slept where they were until dawn this morning. Now, after eating travel rations and taking care of bodily functions, they waited patiently for their target to arrive.

Suddenly, over the rise of a small hill, a cadre of knights mounted on horses and well armed, began to appear. No one moved or made a sound as the knights rode toward them, with the sounds of bridle gear jingling and men talking over the thuds of their mounts hooves on the ground running ahead of them. When the troop came level with the hidden fighters, Prince Luther shouted, "NOW!"

Firing just in front of the horses, T-Bone and Razor created absolute terror with a combination of explosive missiles fired into the road and octopus missiles that knocked the first and second row of knights off their mounts, Lord Renscar being one of them.

Adding to the chaos, Prince Luther's band yelled and waved their arms to prevent the horses from stampeding into the fields on either side of the road, forcing them to go in only one direction ... backward. As the horses reared in terror and backed up frantically, six peasants, three on each side of the road, pulled the thin cord taut so it spanned the roadway just behind the last of the knight's horses so that when they backed up, their legs would be pulled out from under them, tossing their riders as they fell.

Screaming in fright and pain, the horses reared or lost their footing and landed on their riders who cursed as they tried to dismount or get out from under their horse. That's when the rest of the Prince's troops rushed forward and began laying savage blows with heavy wooden cudgels to the knight's heads making them ring through their protective helms.

Joining the fray, the SWAT Kats created even more chaos by firing flash bulb missiles to blind and tarpedos to gum up helms so the knights couldn't see leaving them even more vulnerable to the Prince's soldiers. Feral and Luther weren't idle as they fought side by side those knights still on their feet. The Prince fought with a sword and Feral laid out his opponents with the stun setting of his laser. Within ten minutes, the battle was over and the knights were disarmed and tied up.

Shock and bewilderment was on many faces as they stared up at the rebels and the odd looking strangers. The rebels surrounded them and cheered the Prince. It was the first time they'd managed to get the upper paw and suffered no casualties since this war began.

Lord Renscar, trussed up like a turkey and muzzled so he couldn't cast a spell, stared in stunned surprise at the sight of two Princes. He'd known of the missing twin but never expected to see that one ever again but here the tom stood, the exact image of Prince Luther, except he had a small mustache, wore some kind of odd uniform, and held an even odder looking weapon. Wherever he'd been, he'd learned to be a formidable warrior. Beside him were two even odder looking males dressed in truly bizarre clothing and wearing masks.

They were the ones responsible for the weird weapons used to take his whole unit down. But what had him even more shocked and dismayed was discovering the Prince was the leader of the rebellion.

No one would have ever thought Prince Luther possessed the balls to be anything but the coward and court buffoon he showed to the whole court. And it was all an act. Before him was no coward. This was a true prince of the blood royal and he'd succeeded in disrupting all his mother's plans with ease.

His lady mother hadn't a clue because she treated her children with ill disguised disgust and derision. She was happy only when they remained out of her view and the single remaining prince had used that fact to undermine her authority with great effectiveness. And he'd been no better. Thinking the kitten was a waste of space, he'd gone off to hunt for the rebel leader among the peasant population and the disgruntled nobility that had an axe to grind against the Queen.

Shaking his head he thought, Well I've paid for that stupidity. Wonder what he plans to do now? The Queen will be furious when she learns of this and we'll all suffer does he even realize that?

Since he couldn't speak, his second had the same thought in mind and didn't hesitate to demand what was going to happen to them now. The younger knight growled, "So you've prevented Lord Renscar, your uncle, from carrying out his mission, now what? You know your mother will vent her fury on us all."

Prince Luther gave him a snort of derision. "That might have made me a bit concerned before my brother reappeared but as you can see he has returned to us and with his weapon, his companions weapons and fighting skills, the people on my side, and the fact she doesn't suspect me of anything like this, I'll be able to walk right in, surprise her and take the throne," he said with great satisfaction.

All the knights gaped at him but it was the second who voiced their disbelief. "Are you mad? Her magic will make you wish you were dead before she kills you ... both of you. Those weapons may be formidable and strange but I doubt they can stand up to her powers."

Luther just smirked and turned away. "Take them away and guard them carefully. This isn't done yet. Time to head to the castle and finish this," he commanded. Feral eyed his uncle curiously a moment longer before turning away as well.

Lord Renscar watched them go with dismay and fury. He was also very shocked. Where had Prince Ulysses been and why had he only returned just now? He would greatly love to hear the answers to that but right now all he could do was fume at his situation as the future of his world was decided without him.

Taking the knights horses that weren't hurt, the small group consisting of the two Princes, the SWAT Kats and the nobles who fought on his side, prepared to ride back to the castle.

However, the visitors were having some difficulties learning to use this different form of locomotion. Having never been on horseback before, T-Bone and Razor had some problems managing the animals they'd leaped upon. Feral had less trouble even though the last time he'd ridden was when he was a teen.

"How do you steer this thing?" T-Bone demanded as his horse continued to ignore him and eat the grass next to the road despite him kicking its ribs and slapping the reins.

Razor had managed to get his horse to move forward but hadn't a clue how to guide it in the direction he wanted so it simply moved to stand under a tree and halt to eat.

Prince Luther smirked a little as he road up along side them and gave them a mini lesson on horsemanship. Though less than graceful and having some difficulty keeping their seat, Feral and the SWAT Kats persevered in gaining control of their mounts and at least keeping them moving with the others as they headed back to the castle by way of the forest.

As they rode, Razor realized, belatedly, that he hadn't asked some important questions. "Your highness?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of magic does the Queen use?

Luther turned his head to look at Razor in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Razor sighed. "One of our magical enemies uses a watch to focus his energy, another only had to think what he wanted and it happened. He was the one who nearly finished us but he had a weakness we were able to exploit and defeat him. Queen Callista, a sorcerer from our world's past can cast a spell using a scrying pool, she called it. So what is your mother's weakness and how does she use her magic?"

"Oh, uh ... she has her magic mirror as you already know and she too uses a scrying pool to do her casting."

"And you are the reason her mirror hasn't seen what you're up to, yes?"

"That's correct."

"Okay, so she can't just cast a spell anytime she wants or needs to without the help of her pool, right?" Razor pressed him, needing to be sure.

"No, but she can use small bursts of magical energy for defense and has her loyal army around her. They protect her so she has time to cast any spells she needs. However, my plan was to slip us inside the castle and into the throne room. I know every inch of that place as I needed to hide at times."

Razor sighed with relief. "That's a good plan, your highness. Once in the throne room, we should divide up, you and your brother, and us with some of your loyal officers taking her in a pincher move. I even have gas that would knock her out before she can even fire her magic at us. The suddenness of the attack and the surprise factor should give us the edge and beat her before she can retaliate."

The Prince nodded warmly. His brother's allies were very smart and brave. If their plans worked as quickly as they hoped, then his mother would finally be defeated. If they failed, she would make their lives a living hell. But then his life was no peach in the first place so he had no fears going into this.

Behind them being treated like a sack of potatoes, Lord Renscar fumed and prayed his Queen could best her son or he would find himself facing a new ruler who had no love for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**FERAL'S PAST**

**Chapter 5: Taking the Queen**

_**Author's Note: I had to make some major changes to chapters 2 and 3, only minor ones in four so you should reread as they change the story quite a bit. Thanks to all those reviewing. Glad you like this short bit of work.**_

The trip back to the castle was made in silence after they'd laid their plans. Riding deep within the forest kept them from being seen as they quickly arrived near the guardian oak. They dismounted and those with the prisoners headed somewhere else in the forest while the Princes, SWAT Kats and those supporting Prince Luther made for the secret entrance.

Once inside his hidden room, the Prince went and changed his clothing to some very fancy finery that made him look somewhat like a peacock.

"How do I look?" He asked posing like a fop for his brother's perusal.

Feral grimaced. "Ridiculous!"

Luther grinned. "But it works." His face returned to its grim expression. "Stay close behind me and make no sound. Let's go." He turned and led the way out of the hidden room and into the dungeon proper.

What a foul stench! T-Bone thought, his nose wrinkling at the smell of old blood, urine, and vomit plus mold and other unmentionable smells.

Feral's nose twitched at the nauseous smells, bringing back painful memories he would have rather kept buried.

The group moved soundlessly through the dark, dank place for the stone steps going upward. Their luck held as they met with no one on this part of the trek.

Reaching the main floor, the Prince halted his entourage then went ahead to scout the area. He returned some ten minutes later and signaled them to follow him down the richly tiled floors that gleamed in the light of the sun coming in from windows set high in the ceiling above them.

Only twice did the group have to hide when encountering nobles going about their business and the occasional servant hurrying with eyes down on some errand. Finally, they reached the throne room. The twin oak doors with gold handles were open, the room beyond appeared only partly occupied.

Huge draperies hung on either side of the huge doors and it was behind these the prince directed his army to hide and move quietly and slowly toward the throne across the huge expanse of floor at the back of the room and not far from a bay of windows and a balcony where sun streamed in.

In one corner, they noted a group of courtiers talking in low voices and dressed in high court fashions. Guards were posted at least ten feet from each other around the room but surprisingly, none noted the odd movement of the curtains from time to time.

Prince Luther was the only one to cross the floor boldly, pausing to gossip with the knot of courtiers leaving the females tittering and fluttering their eyes at him as he moved off showing every sign of regret as he headed off to greet his mother.

That worthy was in a fairly quiet mood. Apparently having sent for help to end her constant source of annoyance had made her feel more in control so her spirits were more genial than of late. This was a good sign.

He normally did not approach his mother, choosing instead to haunt its corners and avoid her as much as he could. Court protocol required that he attend his mother at least twice a day and he was rather late for the morning visit but his mother was in a forgiving mood.

She stood in her best blue gown, her gold crown set upon a mound of hair piled high on her head. Standing near the balcony, she listened as a minstrel played a lively tune sitting on a stool some feet from her. Two of her ministers were sitting at a chess table on the other side of the room, giving her watchful glances every now and then as they played.

"Ahh, there you are my son," her honeyed voice slithered over him making his fur rise.

"Mother..." he said, taking her extended paw and kissing it before releasing it. "Sorry for my delay. I overslept...had a late night of it I'm afraid," he said in a lazy voice, very unlike the one he used with them.

"You are forgiven. Isn't it a beautiful day," she purred turning away from him and looking outside, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Yes indeed it is though I much prefer the night," Luther said, easily playing the courtly game as he smoothly and carefully maneuvered himself so that he stood between her and her mirror that stood to one side of the throne. Once there he made his move.

"Mother, if I may be so bold to ask...do you think my brother is still alive?"

Surprised, the Queen turned toward him and at that moment, Feral stepped from the curtain and fired his laser at his mother's feet while Razor fired a sleep capsule right in her face. She began to roar in fury which allowed much of the gas to be inhaled knocking her senseless in seconds.

While they were taking out the Queen, the Prince used his magical skills to incapacitate the guards and other members of the court as did his officers and T-Bone used his own formidable weaponry to take his half of the room as well as closing the throne room doors and preventing any more of her loyal army from rescuing the Queen before the Prince had taken command.

In less than ten minutes, the coup was over and Prince Luther was now in command of the throne.

"It's done and totally bloodless. I'm amazed, brother," Luther said shaking his head in wonder as his people gathered at his side.

"A lightening attack was something she was never prepared for least of all from you, Luther," Feral said, smiling wolfishly as he looked down at his hated mother who was now tied up firmly and her magic tightly clamped down by a spell his brother had learned just for this occasion.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Over the next few hours, Prince Luther, now King, set about cleaning house. In very little time he had convinced the royal army that he was now in charge and the Queen was firmly defeated. He called an immediate council meeting in the throne room. All nobles were required to attend.

Feral was asked to hide himself along with his strange companions until his brother called for him. He wanted to surprise and stun the court with his brother's return. So for a few hours, Feral and the SWAT Kats lazed about a richly appointed room.

"Well Commander, your brother got what he wanted. Will you stay here with him or go home with us?" Razor asked him bluntly.

Feral eyed them a long moment then said, "Go. This is his kingdom. What would I be doing here anyway. Besides, I'm not accustomed to living with magic nor do I want to."

"I thought you might say that so are you going to ask him if he can get us home again?"

"I already have and he said when all this hoopla is over, he'll query all the wizards in his mother's circle about how it could be done."

T-Bone sighed in relief. "Great, so all we have to do is wait."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Four days after the Queen's defeat, an aunt of theirs who had been kept prisoner in a far corner of the castle for many years, came forward when she was freed and told them a remarkable tale before the court that had just been told and introduced to the missing prince. Everyone gathered there were shocked and surprised by what she said.

"Your majesty. When you were but a wee kitten of three, the Queen had taken thee to show off to a visiting dignitary who she hoped to gain an alliance with by betrothing you to their daughter, the same age as you. Meanwhile, your brother Ulysses had been kept in the nursery. Oh how you cried when the two of you were separated, it fair broke my heart but the Queen was ruthless and shoved young Uly away and dragged your majesty off with her." She paused to sip some wine before continuing.

"Your Uncle Stephen was a powerful wizard but not as strong as his sister so he hid his skills to keep myself and our children safe from her cruelty and the hangman's noose. He learned his sister intended to kill Ulysses and marry off Luther as soon as she could. She was jealous and had no intention of letting her power and rule go to either son for any reason. Learning of this horror, Stephen was determined to save Ulysses. So that night when the Queen dragged poor Luther off, he slipped into the nursery through the door I left open for him and covered the lad's head so that the kitten wouldn't cry out and hurried him out."

The brother's looked surprised and shocked at this further evidence of their mother's total hatred for her children. The SWAT Kats looked sick and angry but also fascinated by the story.

Their aunt proceeded to tell them something even more shocking. "There be another mirror here in the castle, hidden away and unknown for centuries. Your uncle had found it and kept it hidden but learned its secrets. He figured out how to see into other worlds and it was into one of these he dared to travel and leave little Ulysses to hopefully thrive and live a better life than the one he'd been born into. It seems, my nephew, his hopes and mine came true. It is a wonder to see you again and looking just as fine a warrior as Luther," she smiled warmly up at him. Feral was choked with emotion as he leaned over and gave her a firm hug.

"Thank you. Though I missed my brother terribly, I am grateful for what you and my uncle did to save me," he whispered into her ear.

"You are very welcome, nephew."

"Aunt Sophie, could you show us where that mirror is and do you know how to use it since Uncle Stephen is dead?" Luther asked, hopefully.

Their aunt sighed and shook her head. "I am sorry your majesty. I can show you where it is but I have not the skill or the knowledge on how to use it."

"Well then I must study it for myself and pray I can figure out how it works," Luther decided.

It, unfortunately, took him more than two weeks to puzzle out the mirrors secrets then figure out how to call up other worlds but in the end he finally succeeded.

During the time it took Luther to figure out the mirror, he and Ulysses spent as much time with each other as they could. Feral also got to visit and be with his various cousins and other relatives, filling in the many gaps he had of his life before he was taken.

On the day of their departure, the brothers went off alone for several hours and when they returned, they hugged one last time then Feral prepared to leave with the SWAT Kats.

"Are you going to keep this mirror open so the two of you can visit?" Razor asked.

"Yes. I find I cannot bear to be apart from my brother again but we each have different lives now so it will be hard to keep in touch as often as I would like but we will see," Luther said, smiling.

"Well, I for one am glad for that. No one should be apart from family even if the distance is between dimensions," T-Bone declared, much to Feral's surprise.

"Just so, warrior. Thank you for your most valuable help in saving my kingdom."

"We were glad to help," Razor said.

"Hey, what are you going to do with your mother?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't think you'd want her hanging about even in prison. She's much too dangerous," Razor said.

The two brothers gave each other a small grin that was almost evil. It was Luther who answered. "Oh, we've been thinking about this for some time and have come to the conclusion that another dimension will have to do as her prison. It took some looking but we finally found a place where magic doesn't work. It's a simple but harsh place where people must work hard to live. It will teach her humility we think."

"Great idea." T-Bone smirked.

"Okay, time to go." Razor went to stand before the mirror. Through it they saw the museum. He didn't hesitate to step through, T-Bone on his heels.

Feral paused briefly to hug his brother again then he too stepped through. On the other side, he looked back and waved to his brother.

"Call you in a week, Ulysses," Luther said.

"I'll be here, around this time, alright?"

"Perfect. Until then, keep safe, my brother."

"You too." Then the mirror went blank and Feral felt a brief stab of sadness which he shook off. After all it wasn't like it would be forever before he saw his brother again.

"What an amazing adventure. To think there are two of you, Commander," T-Bone teased. He'd gotten a healthy dose of respect for their antagonist and planned on not riding the tom so much any longer.

Feral rolled his eyes. "Get out of my sight you pair of trouble makers," he said without heat.

Laughing, the pair took off. They were surprised and pleased to find the Turbokat right where they left it though there was an Enforcer guard set up around it.

"Hey, your boss is inside. Why don't you welcome him back and let us get on our way," T-Bone said, keeping his voice and manner light and friendly.

The Enforcers were surprised and relieved to learn their Commander had returned but were rather reluctant to leave their posts. Fortunately, Feral had followed them out of the museum and called out an order.

"Let them go."

Relieved, the small detachment quickly left their post and went to stand beside their Chief Enforcer.

Moments later the SWAT Kats were winging their way home and Feral was heading back to headquarters where he had a lot of questions to answer from the Mayor's office and his own officers but he didn't mind. He was home.

~fini~


End file.
